The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for generating and transmitting electrical power. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for generating and transmitting electrical power by converting electrical energy into optical energy, which is then transported in a light carrier, and subsequently converted again into electrical energy.
Power generation is essentially unchanged from the late 1800s, and only moderate improvements have been made in the intervening century. In almost every application, some energy, such as heat or the energy of falling water, is harnessed to turn a turbine which then spins the armature of a generator, and the electrical energy derived is then directed into conductive wires, for distribution.
In many cases, an energy source is used to heat water, and heated water or steam is passed through a generator to create electricity. In other cases, such as hydroelectric dams, a source of water and gravity is used to power the turbines. In yet other cases, such as wind-generated power or solar power, the electricity is generated by movement of the air or capturing sunlight respectively. In any event, it is conventional to harness and transport the electrical energy by means of metallic wires, typically copper or copper-based cables.
With the growing world economy, copper has become quite expensive. Moreover, these cable transmission lines are difficult to build, and typically include towers, intermediate power stations, etc. which increase the overall cost and complexity of the power grid. Moreover, these cables are susceptible to damage due to wind, heat from fires, terrorist attacks and the like. There is also a fair amount of loss of electrical energy as it is transmitted over long distances. The system disclosed herein offers a considerable reduction in easement requirement compared with overhead power lines, and it completely eliminates the need to consider the effects of electromagnetic fields on the environment during the design phase.
Accordingly there is a continuing need for a new and novel method for the generation and transmission of electrical power. The systems and methods of the present invention are particularly adapted for use in association with a system that recovers superheated fluids from deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, and then uses the superheated fluids as a thermal energy source for generating electrical or optical energy. However, the systems and methods of the present invention can also be applicable to more conventional electricity generating systems, but instead used to replace their transmission systems at great cost advantages over conventional techniques for either undersea applications or for over land long-distance power generation and transmission as well.